Downtown Lockhart gears up for the 40th annual Diez y Seis celebration
By Anthony Collins
LPR Editor
Above, Rick Trevino will be performing this year.
Lockhart will celebrate 40 years of Diez y Seis festivities when the annual celebration returns to the downtown square Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12. Hosted by the Greater Caldwell County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the two-day event will bring live music, food, vendors, student performances, contests, auctions and the annual Diez y Seis Queen Coronation to the area surrounding the historic Caldwell County Courthouse.
Multiple vendors will be set up around the square throughout the weekend, giving visitors plenty of opportunities to grab something to eat, shop and enjoy the atmosphere between performances. Vendors will open at 6 p.m. Friday and again at noon Saturday. Republic Services will sponsor the beer garden, which will be located on the northwest corner of the square. The beer garden is expected to be one of the main gathering spots throughout the weekend, giving festivalgoers a place to meet up, relax and enjoy the celebration between performances.
Diez y Seis, meaning “the 16th,” refers to Sept. 16, the date Mexico celebrates the beginning of its fight for independence from Spain. The story dates back to 1810, when Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bell in the town of Dolores and called on the people to rise against Spanish rule. His call became known as the “Grito de Dolores,” or Cry of Dolores, and is widely recognized as the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Mexico’s struggle for independence continued for more than a decade before independence was achieved in 1821. Today, Sept. 16 remains one of Mexico’s most important national holidays and is traditionally marked by music, dancing, food, ceremonies and celebrations honoring Mexican history and culture.
Those traditions have also become deeply rooted in Texas, where generations of families have celebrated Diez y Seis in communities large and small.
In Lockhart, the celebration has grown into one of the city’s most recognizable cultural events and a weekend many families look forward to each year. Friday night gets underway at 6 p.m. when the vendors open and Jessica Ramos takes the Michelob ULTRA Stage. Ramos is scheduled to perform until 7 p.m.
Ramos comes from a well-known Tejano musical family and is the granddaughter of longtime Tejano performer Ruben Ramos. She represents a new generation of performers while continuing a family tradition with deep ties to the South Texas music scene.
Rick Trevino will take the stage from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Trevino rose to national attention during the 1990s and became known for blending traditional country music with the Tejano influences he grew up around. His career has included several well-known songs, including “She Can’t Say I Didn’t Cry,” “Doctor Time” and “Bobbie Ann Mason.” Friday night will also include a gun safe live auction beginning at 9:45 p.m. The safe being auctioned is valued at more than $800.
La Tropa Estrella will close out Friday’s entertainment with a performance from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. Known for its upbeat cumbia sound, the group has built a following around music made for dancing and will carry the first night of the celebration into the late evening.
Saturday’s activities begin at noon when the vendors reopen for the day. Lockhart ISD students will also be part of the Saturday afternoon entertainment, giving local students an opportunity to perform during one of the community’s biggest annual celebrations.
The 2026 Diez y Seis Queen Coronation is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday, continuing one of the festival’s longtime traditions. This year’s candidates are Emilia Zapien and Faith Guerrero.
At 3 p.m., the main stage will heat up with a jalapeño eating contest sponosred by HEB. The competition will feature male, female and youth divisions. The youth division is open to children ages 5 to 12, and all youth participants must be accompanied by a parent.
La Nueva Maravilla will take the stage from 4 to 5:15 p.m. The group has roots in the Rio Grande Valley music scene and has built its sound around cumbia and dance music. The band has described its style as “El Brillo de la Cumbia,” or “The Shine of Cumbia,” and its music reflects the rhythms and energy associated with South Texas and the Valley. Its catalog includes songs such as “Cumbia La Frontera,” “Juan Sabor” and “Esperando que Vuelvas,” along with the album Puras Cumbias Del 956. Broken Arrow follows from 6 to 7:15 p.m. The Kyle-based band has become a familiar name around Central Texas with its blend of Texas country and regional influences. The group includes Richard “Rab” Barrera, Justin Pratt, Cory Anderson, Johnny Anderson and Steve Avalos. Its songs include “Whiskey 2 Steppin’,” “Footsteps of a Fool,” “Topshelf,” “Bar Tab Gigs” and “You Didn’t Hear It From Me.”
Saturday evening will include one of the weekend’s biggest auction items. At 8 p.m., a live auction will begin for an all-inclusive San Antonio Spurs suite package valued at more than $1,200. Kin Faux will take the stage from 8:15 to 9:30 p.m. The San Antonio-based group has developed a strong following on the Texas Country and Red Dirt circuit with vocal harmonies, fiddle-driven arrangements and an energetic live show.
At 9:30 p.m., the City of Lockhart will present an official proclamation as part of the Diez y Seis celebration, recognizing the event and its importance to the community. The 2026 Royal Court Raffle Drawing will begin at 9:45 p.m. Ram Herrera & The Outlaw Band will close out the weekend, taking the stage from 10:30 p.m. until midnight.
Herrera has been one of the familiar voices in Tejano music for decades. The San Antonio native first gained widespread attention while performing with David Lee Garza y Los Musicales before going on to establish a successful career of his own. His long history in Tejano music makes him a fitting choice to close Lockhart’s 40th annual celebration.
While the music will draw plenty of attention, Diez y Seis has always been about more than the performers on stage. The vendors, food, student performances, Queen Coronation, contests, auctions and beer garden give families plenty of reasons to spend the day downtown and take in everything the festival has to offer. Mexican Independence Day is sometimes confused with Cinco de Mayo, but the two mark different moments in Mexican history. Cinco de Mayo recognizes the Mexican Army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Diez y Seis marks the beginning of Mexico’s fight for independence more than 50 years earlier.
After four decades, Lockhart’s celebration has also developed a history of its own. Children who once attended with their parents are now bringing their own families downtown, keeping the tradition moving from one generation to the next. Some will come for the music. Others will come for the food, vendors, Queen Coronation or jalapeño eating contest. Many will simply come to spend time with family and friends around the square. Whatever brings people downtown, the 40th annual Diez y Seis celebration will once again give Lockhart a weekend to celebrate its history, culture and the traditions that have become an important part of the community.
